Manchester City did what they have done all season - score goals and pick up three points at the Etihad, this time courtesy a 3-0 win over Swansea

Manchester City playmaker Samir Nasri celebrates after scoring against Swansea in the English Premier League, December 1. Reuters

Manchester City playmaker Samir Nasri celebrates after scoring against Swansea in the English Premier League, December 1. Reuters

Manchester City did what they have done all season - score goals and pick up three points at the Etihad.

Manuel Pellegrini's men maintained their perfect record at home courtesy a 3-0 victory over Swansea in the English Premier League.

Goals from Alvaro Negredo and a Samir Nasri double was enough for City to pull within six points of leaders Arsenal, and two of second-placed Chelsea.

Negredo put City ahead via a thumping freekick on eight minutes, before the home side weathered a Swansea storm in the remaining minutes of the first half.

The Welsh side should have really gone into halftime at least level, with Jonathan De Guzman in particular missing an absolute sitter.

City came out more assured in the second half, with Nasri doubling the lead by slotting in nicely after some good work from Yaya Toure. The former Arsenal midfielder would then add the gloss 13 minutes from time as City maintained their push towards the top of the table.

"I'm very pleased because we won against a very strong team," Pellegrini said. "It's not easy to play against them, they have a lot of possession. We played too quickly in the first half but we defended very well which is very important.

"Although they had a lot of the ball, I can only remember one good chance for Swansea in the first-half after we scored.

"We hope that now we can start winning away -- we deserved to win some other games we lost but in this week we have six points to play for. I knew before the game the way Swansea play -- they are strong, especially when they have the ball.

"In other games, especially last Wednesday [against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League], we didn't defend well. I think today [Sunday] when Swansea played very well after we scored the first goal, we defended very well."

City next face West Brom at the Hawthorns on Wednesday with Swansea hosting high-flying Newcastle, and Michael Laudrup will hope for a positive result to go along with the performance after he saw his side leave the Etihad empty-handed.

"I think it's a little strange to sit here after a game we lost 3-0 and really feel that we did many things right," Laudrup said. "I said to the players before the game that, when you play against players like this, you have to try to keep the ball as much as possible because, when they have it, they have players who can just change a game in a split second.

"I really think we played well. The first half was not about keeping the ball between the back four. We played it around and got forward with five or six players. "Even during the start of the second-half, it was the same, but their second goal was an example of what I was just saying. Toure played the pass and Nasri took a great first touch, and it was a fantastic goal.

That is what you're up against when you play top, top players. Against teams like that, you have to take the few chances you get, if you want to win."